George f



UN TB in GEORGE F. KNAPP, OF ST; LOUIS, MISSOURI.

'. FOLDING BARREL.

be opened to examine the contents, and means whereby the hoops may he looked securely,or

, readily unlocked.

To this end my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts forming a folding barrel, hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of a barrel showing my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same in a knockdown condition without the heads. Fig. 3 isan end elevation of two segments of barrel-staves and the lock therefor. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the central hoop-coupling, and Fig. 5 is a de tail View along the hinge-joint of the barrel.

a represents a series of staves forming a half of a barrel by being secured upon half-hoops c c 0, and 1) represents the other half of the barrel similarly formed and secured upon other half-hoops D, which are hinged to the hoops 0 by links 0. The central hoop is provided with a link, (I, at one end, and with a hook, 0, at the other end, adapted to engage each other; but to bring them together requires a peculiar construction and combina tion of the parts, because when the edges of the two halves a and b are together the link (I cannot be engaged with or disengaged from the hook c. This is to prevent the barrel being knocked down accidentally when its ends are removed for examining the contents. I place the hinge joint of the link-d and hoop 0 projecting slightly over the edge of the half-barrel a, in order that the link may swing down i to engage the hook when the half-barrel b is SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 312,4:75, dated February 17,1885.

Application filed July 2, 1884. (Model.)

slid under the half a, as seen in dotted lines in the section at Fig. 4.

To adapt the half I) to so slide under the part (t,Iplace the hook 0 back from the edge, leaving a space, B. By this means the hook and loop'may be engaged and then the half I) be crowded back in place in front of the half a, forming a very tight fit, and one that cannot be knocked down otherwise than by the process designed for that purpose.

In order that the barrels may be quickly opened at their ends for inspectionl provide the end loops with locks, consisting of linksf, hinged or loosely hung to the half-hoops D, and adapted to engage a shoulder, g, on lugs h,which are secured to the half hoops 0 at the ends of the barrel.

To draw the ends of the barrel together, I provide levers A,hinged to the lugs h in front of and near the top of the shoulders g. These levers are of a. thickness sufficient to bring their rear faces as far from the center of their pivots as the shoulders g, so that by inserting the end ofa lever in a loop and drawing back on the lever it will gradually bring the link overbehind the shoulder g,where thelink will hang very firmly untilforcibly disengaged.

To disengage the link, I provide the lever with an angular toe, i, which pries under the link and raises it free of the shoulder when the lever is pushed forward. This toe is so formed as to engage the link while the latter is engaged with the shoulder 9, thus holding the lever down upon the barrel.

The hinge 0 permits the two halves of the barrel to fold back upon themselves outside to outside, so as to be packed solid for transportation. The barrel is thus made convenient for use, and is readily reduced to form for economical shipment.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is i 1. The combination, in a folding barrel, of two sets of staves forming halves of a barrel secured to two parts of a hoop hinged together,

a link loosely hung to one part of the hoop 5 corresponding to the length of the link, substantially as described,whereby the two parts of the barrel will be held firmlytogether when the staves are in the same plane, and whereby the staves may be thrown out of plane, the one to pass over the other, for the purpose of engagement or disengagement, as set forth.

2. The combination, in a folding barrel, of a lug, h, provided with a projecting shoulder, g, secured to one part of the barrel, and a link, f, hung loosely to the other part, a lever pivoted in the upper portion of the shoulder of the lug, one face of the lever being as far from the center of its pivot as the corresponding face of the shoulder, and a toe pro- I 5 jeoting angularly from the said face of the le ver, substantially as described, whereby the. link may be forced into engagement with the shoulder of the lug, or out of engagement there- With,and whereby the lever may be held down 20 upon the barrel, as set forth.

GEO. r. KNAPP.

Witnesses:

EDWARD Mormon, T. B. TERRY. 

